TORONTO, May 31, 2010 – B’nai Brith Canada has expressed its regret for the loss of life and several casualties, including Israeli personnel, that took place when a ship from the Free Gaza Flotilla refused to enter safe harbour in Israel for customary cargo inspection procedures, and Israel was forced to intercept it.
The Free Gaza Flotilla was organized by the International Humanitaire Hilfs organization (IHH), a radical Islamist organization based in Turkey. Numerous reports have linked the IHH to terrorist organizations across the globe, including Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Participants of the Gaza flotilla have been recorded chanting “Jews, remember Khyabar, the army of Mohammed is returning,” a slogan referring to a seventh-century massacre of Jews in Arabia.
“The kangaroo courts of NGOs and countries hostile to Israel have already joined the stampede to condemn the Jewish State and her supporters across the globe,” said Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “The truth is irrelevant for those whose prejudice against Israel as a Jewish State is uppermost. This very sad incident gives hate mongers one more chance to spew their venom against Israel and the Jewish people.
“We commend both the Canadian and American governments who have demonstrated wisdom and compassion with their statements expressing sorrow for the dead while awaiting all of the facts before rushing to judgment. We also await the facts and urge rational Canadians not to jump to conclusions, even though there are many who are trying hard to seize this obviously-staged opportunity for the purpose of spreading hateful propaganda.
“No one should be fooled that the Gaza flotilla was part of some docile humanitarian mission. This was an action organized primarily by Islamists with ties to various terrorist groups across the globe whose obvious goal was to provoke Israel into a response.”
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For more information, please contact, Dan Rabkin, Communications Officer: 416-633-6224 X 140 / cell: 416-312-9173
B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency
